Sinn Féin Deputy Leader Michelle O’Neill has said that the DUP is “hell bent” on pursuing a reckless and blinkered Brexit strategy that is “driving us all towards a no deal catastrophe”.

The Sinn Fein Vice President was commenting after the DUP confirmed it would not support the Brexit withdrawal agreement, despite the latest assurances from the EU.

Michelle O’Neill said:

“The EU has shown considerable patience and a willingness to facilitate a Brexit agreement that enables Britain to leave the EU without creating a hard border in Ireland, or undermining the Good Friday Agreement.

“The way to achieve that is through the Withdrawal Agreement and the ‘backstop’ contained within it. There can be no deviation or diminution from that position.

“The business community, the farming community, the Civil Service, educationalists and trade unionists have all warned in recent weeks about the dire consequences of a No Deal crash on our economy.

“The DUP continues to ignore these warnings, just as they ignore the fact that the majority of people in the north voted against Brexit in the first place.

“This blinkered strategy is reckless in the extreme. It is driving us all towards a no-deal crash that would be catastrophic.

“At this critical time the DUP have a choice to make. It is time to put people’s jobs, livelihoods and peace first before selfish party political interests.”